BYU hopes to pick up head of steam heading into postseason
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
03/06/2010 - Fort Worth, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Already designated as the second seed in the upcoming Mountain West Conference Tournament in Las Vegas next week, the 14th- ranked BYU Cougars clash with the TCU Horned Frogs this evening in Fort Worth.
BYU, which has lost two games to regular-season champ New Mexico already, is trying to finish the campaign strong as it shoots for its second straight win and the sixth in seven tries as it takes the floor. On Wednesday night, the Cougars ripped through in-state rival Utah in a 71-51 final in Salt Lake City.
As for the Horned Frogs, they enter the weekend in seventh place in the MWC standings with a record of 5-10, having won just three times in their last 11 decisions. Three nights ago, the program was taken down by eighth-ranked New Mexico in The Pit, 73-66.
With respect to the all-time series between these two schools on the hardwood, the Cougars lead by a count of 14-3 and easily took care of TCU in the first meeting of the season with a 76-56 triumph in Provo.
The usually reliable Jimmer Fredette, one of the top scorers in the nation, made just 1-of-7 from the floor and finished with only eight points in 19 minutes, yet the Cougars still prevailed in their meeting with Utah on the road. Picking up the slack was Brandon Davies who tallied a game-high 21 points and cleared seven rebounds off the bench, while Michael Loyd and Jackson Emery tacked on 18 and 11 points, respectively. The fact that BYU never trailed may have played a part in allowing the reserves some additional time on the floor, but what it really means is that the Cougars don't always need their big guns to get the job done. Now at 20.7 ppg on the season, Fredette is still shooting a whopping 47.8 percent behind the three-point line and continues to lead the group with his 136 assists over the course of his 29 appearances. Emery (12.3 ppg), Tyler Haws (11.7 ppg) and Jonathan Tavernari (10.1 ppg) have been integral in pushing BYU to a scoring advantage of more than 18 ppg this season.
The Horned Frogs gave it a good run against New Mexico, but the team just couldn't keep up the intensity on the road in front of more than 14,000 in the stands. Zvonko Buljan finished with a double-double consisting of 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Ronnie Moss accounted for 14 points, but just three assists before fouling out. Edvinas Ruzgas added 12 points and Keion Mitchem 11 points before he too picked up his fifth personal. Moss, the leading scorer in three of the last four games for TCU, paces the program overall this season with his 14.6 ppg, even though he has shot just 39.4 percent from the field. More importantly, Moss has been crucial to the offense because of his passing which has led to 183 assists and made him one of the leaders in the entire nation in that department. Buljan (12.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg) and Ruzgas (10.7 ppg) have been up and down this season so it is no wonder the squad has been inconsistent.
El Paso, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - UAB will attempt to beat a ranked opponent on the road for the first time since 1994, as the Blazers head to the Don Haskins Center to take on the 24th-ranked Texas-El Paso Miners in the regular-season finale for
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Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With both teams having already secured
byes into the quarterfinal round of the upcoming Big East Conference
Tournament, the 10th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers and ninth-ranked
Villanova Wildcats will put
<< Vols head to Starkville to challenge Bulldogs
Starkville, MS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 16th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers and the
Mississippi State Bulldogs will close out the 2009-10 regular season with an
SEC battle this evening in Starkville.
Wins in four of the last five games have lifte
<< Commodores close regular season against visiting Gamecocks
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The South Carolina Gamecocks carry a six-game
losing streak into today's regular-season finale against the 13th-ranked
Vanderbilt Commodores, who are on a major roll.
At one point last month, the Gamecocks ap
<< Rutgers visits No. 17 Pittsburgh in regular-season finale
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 17th-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers welcome
the Rutgers Scarlet Knights to town this afternoon for the regular-season
finale for both Big East Conference teams.
Rutgers has suffered losses in three of the la
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 25th-ranked Xavier Musketeers will try to grab at least a share of the Atlantic 10 regular-season title today, as they entertain the St. Bonaventure Bonnies at the Cintas Center. The Musketeers enter the
Beat Colonials and Owls will grab at least a share of A-10 title >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 20th-ranked Temple Owls are out to
secure at least a piece of the Atlantic 10 regular-season championship today,
as they clash with the George Washington Colonials at the Liacouras Center.
The Owls are
Aggies and Sooners meet in Big 12 action >>
Norman, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 23rd-ranked Texas A&M Aggies are out to
secure a top four finish in the Big 12 today, as they lock up with the
Oklahoma Sooners at the Lloyd Noble Center.
The top four teams in the Big 12 receive byes in
Hoyas host Bearcats to close out regular season >>
Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 19th-ranked Georgetown Hoyas will
attempt to right the ship in their regular-season finale, as they welcome the
Cincinnati Bearcats to Washington D.C. for a Big East showdown at the Verizon
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Th
Louisville closes Freedom Hall against top-ranked Syracuse >>
Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - An extremely emotional Louisville squad will
welcome the top-ranked Syracuse Orange to Freedom Hall this afternoon for a
Big East clash.
The Cardinals will be closing out the regular season as well as ending
Teams that should be in: Stanford
Oregon and USC get their tickets punched after taking care of business this weekend. Yes, the Trojans' computer numbers aren't great, but there's no way the third-place team in this league is getting nixed. Grudgingly, I added Arizona after consultation with our Bracketologist. I don't know that Arizona will lose its last three (including a Pac-10 quarterfinal game), and even if the Cats do, I still can't see how they'd be left out, given the overall profile. That said, it bears watching, as three more L's would leave them at 18-12 (9-9) and on a 6-11 skid entering the Dance. It would be nice to see the Wildcats get at least one W in the Bay Area next week, as Cincinnati (albeit without Armein Kirkland and with a worse profile) was axed after a similar slide last season. I just couldn't rationalize having some of the other teams as locks and not having Arizona in that category -- there just aren't enough good teams behind the Cats to threaten their spot, it seems. Stanford has its fate in its own hands with the Arizona schools coming to the Farm to close out the regular season next weekend.
Should be in:
Stanford [17-10 (9-7), RPI: 40, SOS: 21] No shame in not getting a win in L.A., but that makes the home game against Arizona State a must-win ahead of what could be an intriguing meeting with Arizona should the Cats lose at Cal. Getting to 11 Pac-10 wins would make Selection Sunday much more comfortable, but 10's probably more than enough this season. The Cardinal have nonconference wins over Texas Tech and at Virginia to lean on, although they also lost badly to Air Force and Santa Clara at home.
| Southeastern Conference odds | |
Work left to do: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State It looks more and more possible that no one from the SEC West will make the NCAAs. How weird is that? Tennessee and Vandy move into the locks category after more good work this weekend. Kentucky stays there, although it would be smart for the Cats to handle Georgia at home Wednesday ahead of a trip to the Swamp. Could a disaster scenario (two more L's and a first-round SEC tourney exit) somehow dislodge the Cats despite their incredible computer numbers? Still unlikely, but not worth chancing it.
Work left to do: Alabama [19-9 (6-8), RPI: 43, SOS: 47] The tough L at Tennessee was understandable, and even created some hope. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed by a home loss to Auburn, which leaves the Tide in some real trouble. There's still no signature win on the profile (no, Kentucky doesn't count), and the computer profile is weakening rapidly. The Tide conceivably could beat Ole Miss and win at Miss. State to get to 8-8 and clinch at least a share of the West crown, but that's probably not enough right now. The Tide will need to do some work in the SEC tourney. Georgia [16-10 (8-6), RPI: 52, SOS: 23] This is the team with the best chance to make it from this section right now. The Bulldogs rebounded from a terrible performance at Ole Miss to beat down Miss. State. Now they are at Kentucky (king of the RPI 51-100 win) and home to Tennessee. That would be worth a lot of computer points to get both (which is doable), as both teams are in the top 11 in RPI. Finishing at least 9-7 is an absolute must, and I would feel much better about the Dawgs' chances if they got both to get to 10 SEC wins. They also beat Gonzaga, but lost to ACC bubblers Georgia Tech and Clemson. Mississippi [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 63, SOS: 79] Like everyone else in this division, Ole Miss gacked up a chance to stake a claim, losing by double figures at South Carolina. Even 9-7 likely is not nearly enough with a nonconference profile devoid of anything notable. Mississippi State [16-11 (7-7), RPI: 66, SOS: 37] With a chance to get in the mix, these Bulldogs were leashed by their Georgia counterparts. Could they get to 9-7? I guess -- although winning at Arkansas, then beating Alabama is no lock -- but would that mean all that much for a team with this overall profile? Probably not. There's nothing of note (on the good side) in the nonconference profile. |
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Super Bowl XLIV Odds
Super Bowl XLIII isn't even a week old yet and oddsmakers have already released Super Bowl XLIV odds.
Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowl 43, the New England Patriots are 8/1 favorites to win Super Bowl 44.
Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds
With their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers became the latest NFL champion. But believe it or not, oddsmakers from online sports book MySportsbook.com don't have the Steelers the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV next season.
That honor belongs to the New England Patriots, who are 8/1 favorites to win despite not even qualify for the postseason in 2008. The Pats also have a major decision to make regarding what to do with Matt Cassel, who played well in Tom Brady's (knee surgery) absence last year but is also a free agent this offseason.
Ironically, the Steelers aren't even oddsmakers second choice to win Super Bowl 44, as the Dallas Cowboys are listed right behind the Patriots at 9/1 despite not making the playoffs themselves. Clearly oddsmakers think the public will hop back on the Cowboys' bandwagon considering the immense talent they have and the opening of a brand new stadium.
After Dallas, then comes Pittsburgh at 10/1, but they share those odds with the New York Giants, who won Super Bowl XLII. The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers round out the top six teams at 12/1, while the Baltimore Ravens (14/1), Tennessee Titans (16/1), Carolina Panthers (18/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (18/1) complete the top 10.
The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals got no love from oddsmakers as they were established as a 30/1 long shot to win next year's Super Bowl. They share those same odds with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – two teams that didn't even qualify for the postseason. Other long shots are the Kansas City Chiefs (100/1), Detroit Lions (100/1), St. Louis Rams (75/1) and Oakland Raiders (75/1).
To see a complete list of all the team's odds to win Super Bowl XLIV, check below.
NFL TEAM FUTURE ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLIV
New England Patriots 8/1
Dallas Cowboys 9/1
New York Giants 10/1
Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1
Indianapolis Colts 12/1
San Diego Chargers 12/1
Baltimore Ravens 14/1
Tennessee Titans 16/1
Carolina Panthers 18/1
Philadelphia Eagles 18/1
New Orleans Saints 20/1
Atlanta Falcons 25/1
Denver Broncos 25/1
Green Bay Packers 25/1
Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1
Minnesota Vikings 25/1
New York Jets 25/1
Arizona Cardinals 30/1
Chicago BearS 30/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1
Buffalo Bills 35/1
Houston TexaNS 35/1
Miami Dolphins 35/1
Washington Redskins 35/1
Seattle SeahawkS 50/1
Cleveland Browns 55/1
Cincinnati Bengals 60/1
San Francisco 49ers 60/1
Oakland Raiders 75/1
St. Louis Rams 75/1
Detroit Lions 100/1
Kansas City Chiefs 100/1
Odds as of: 2/2/09
Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds
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